Generation Lost, Part 6
Mercury Falls
By Taerir
AN: If anyone will still read this, I apologize for going so long without an update. I've been extremely busy in recent months, and haven't had much time to myself. If you're still reading this, I thank you for staying with it. :)
All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. I, Taerir, do claim the prose contained in this document, copyright 2003. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author.
It surprises you to hear from me this early, does it not? One would think that the senshi chronicling these events thus far would survive until the end. But my time has come, and I yet have something to say. I introduced you to our story knowing that it was my time to depart, and I hope that my beloved friends will continue this work for me. I feel it important that the world know us as we truly were, and not as the figureheads we became to the people.
And now that I am leaving, I abandon the third-person narrative I previously adopted and speak once again as myself.
The aftermath of Endymion's death was difficult to contain. Serenity did indeed have her work cut out for her, to calm the masses while battling her own emotions, but she handled it well. She made us proud to stay by her side, and reminded us once again why she served as queen.
It was three days ago that I first began to feel physically weak. I shrugged it off as nothing at first; the dizzy spells were a slight annoyance, but nothing more. Since then, it has progressed to the point that I have difficulty rising from bed, and the world constantly blurs in and out of focus.
I feel it fitting, in an ironic sort of way, that I, whose mother was a doctor and who studied science my entire life, will die of an unknown sickness. But then, I also find it likely that this sickness is specific to me, and that no one else will ever contract this particular disease.
I have no regrets. I have lived a long, full life. The man I loved has passed on before me, and my other loved ones are well taken care of. I do feel slight guilt at abandoning my remaining fellow senshi and my queen and princess, and at leaving those who come after me to fend for themselves. But the logic deep inside me also knows that it must be this way. Just as fate dictated who we became, so too is it exercising its influence now.
They have all come to see me, and it makes me realize how much I love them all. We've all had our trials and our arguments, but in the end we stood together. That is what matters most, and that is what brings a smile to my face now and gives me the strength to write this.
Uranus and Neptune visited together, Uranus with a stoic expression and Neptune with her gentle, graceful smile. Somehow, the senshi of the outer planets had always seemed a different breed than the rest of us, but inside, their hearts held the same fire and we drew strength from their examples. Even now, that remained the case. Pluto came as well, and her serious smile told me that she knew as well as I that there was nothing to be done.
Saturn, of course, had already left us, as had Endymion.
Jupiter, Venus and Mars visited together as well. After so many years with a common purpose, we understood each other well enough that we had no need for separate visits. We had our last conversation then, and it reminded me of our youth. Some things change only on the surface. The caring and companionship stay constant. That last visit strikes me even now, and brings happy tears to my eyes.
Even the princess came to say goodbye. It seemed to me that in some ways, she was dealing with the departure of the senshi better than any of us. Some of us wondered how she would turn out when she was very young, but our Small Lady has become strong. Just as it was with her mother, we had no need to worry at all in the end.
Serenity herself came last. There were tears behind her eyes, but she simply smiled at me and sat by me for a long while, holding my hand tightly. I think, to a point, my friend is not sure how she will deal with this when all is said and done. But she shines without trying, and as always, I know she will make it through with her legendary strength and love. She is more than even she believes, and she shows us all that there is hope for the world.
But my writing has become long-winded, and I grow tired now. The others are gathering once again; they, too, know that the time is near. The timid one has told her story. So now, I relinquish my pen to another and hope that there will be someone to tell our story as we see it, until the end.
Despite the trials and hardships, we have had a beautiful life, my friends. Never forget that.
Mercury passed quietly, with a smile on her face. Although often overlooked, she, too, was a warrior, and lived her life with strength and integrity. We all derive hope from that fact, even with her gone.
I, as the Time Guardian, will try to do her legacy justice as we continue our story. Mercury certainly deserves that.
